Why we love it:﻿﻿ The glazed doughnuts are simplicity at its finest. Starting with a just-sweet-enough glaze, they have just the right amount of sweetness and a soft but not mushy crumb. When they're freshly fried, glazed and rested, they're something truly incredible. The apple fritters are even better. They have a slightly cake-like interior studded with cooked apple pieces, and the combination of crust and glaze gives it almost a crunchy texture. Be aware: This place takes only cash.

Why we love it: Whether you choose a tender flour tortilla or an earthy corn tortilla, or opt for potato and egg, bean and cheese or machacado filling, you'll love Café Salsita's plump breakfast tacos, especially when you top them with one of two salsas, a spunky red or the gourmet chile de arbol, a rich, creamy, orange salsa that's flecked with bits of fresh onion and cilantro. We order them so often that we've been asked, “The usual?” when we call.

Cost: $1.50-3.25, depending on filling

Photo By COURTESY PHOTO

Chicken and waffles

Where: Earl Abel's, 1201 Austin Highway, 210-822-3358

Why we love it: Southern favorite, chicken and waffles, is a recent addition to Earl Abel's classic breakfast menu. The main reason we love it? Because we love Earl Abel's crispy, tender, fried chicken. Topped with your choice of white or dark meat, the waffle is served with butter and syrup, including a good sugar-free version. The entrée is available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., but until 10:30 a.m., the waffles are served with chicken tenders rather than bone-in chicken pieces.

Why we love it: In its own way, this big cinnamon roll has a sense of balance. The flaky dough comes from its puff pastry base, with the right amount of cinnamon, sugar and crushed pecans as a filling, all topped with just enough glaze. Without a sense of moderation in all of these rich elements, the cinnamon roll could have been a sugary, goopy or heavy mess. Instead, it's brilliant.

Cost: $3.33

Photo By BILLY CALZADA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Coddled eggs

Where: Il Sogno, 200 E. Grayson St., 210-223-3900

Why we love it: Press your fork into one of these delicately coddled eggs and watch the yolk gently flow. It comes with several slices of toasted Italian bread to sop up the yolk. This is a kitchen of chef Andrew Weissman, so the technique is impeccable and these eggs will be perfectly coddled. The crispness of the toast and the creaminess of the yolk combine for a beautiful contrast of textures and tastes in every bite. The accompanying slices of bacon make everything that much better.

Cost: $10

Photo By HELEN L. MONTOYA/San Antonio Express-News

Eggs Benedict

Where: Olmos Park Bistro, 4331 McCullough Ave., 210-826-0222

Why we love it: This version of the classic dish is near-perfect — a crisp muffin topped with Black Forest ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Enjoy it with a glass of sparkling rosé, and you have the perfect Sunday breakfast. It's served during brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays.

Cost: $14

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

Huevos rancheros

Where: Tito's Restaurant, 955 S. Alamo St., 210-212-8226

Why we love it: The huevos rancheros at Tito's features two eggs cooked to your preference and covered with a spicy ranchero sauce with chunks of jalapeños, onions and tomatoes. Ordered over easy, the egg yolks become one with the sauce only to be stopped by a barrier of papas con chorizo and refried beans. Corn or flour tortillas make the perfect tool for sopping up anything left on the plate.

Cost: $3.99 on weekdays before 10 a.m. and $4.99 after 10 a.m.; $5.99 on weekends

Why we love it: Though Magnolia's best-seller is the all-American Magnolia breakfast — three eggs; bacon, sausage, ham or Canadian bacon; hash browns; and pancakes, grits or toast — the dish we can't pass up is the apfel pfannekuchen, a German puffed pancake slathered in whipped cream and powdered sugar. Featured last week on Food Network's “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” the crispy pancake packed with Granny Smith apples, tons of cinnamon and butter, isn't to be missed.

Cost: $8.99

Photo By Photo by Robin Jerstad/Special to the Express-News

Pancakes

Where: Jim's Restaurants, 17 locations in San Antonio

Why we love it: From early in the morning until late at night, Jim's turns out pancake after pancake, its most popular breakfast item. What's not to like about these buttermilk beauties, which practically fill the plate with their fluffy, golden goodness? Warmed syrup and butter accompany, or gild the lily, pay a little extra, and order them filled with blueberries or topped with strawberries.

Cost: $5.19 for a full 3-stack; $4.69 for a short 2-stack; add $2.69 for two eggs with ham, bacon or sausage

Photo By HELEN L. MONTOYA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Waffles

Where: Koffee Kup, 1025 Donaldson Ave., 210-785-9007

Why we love it: Chef Jose Cruz is cranking out delicious breakfast favorites from this small, family-run café, and the waffles are no exception. The thick pastries are sufficiently toasted on the outside and tenderly moist on the inside, and they are served with a choice of fruit or toppings such as strawberries, blueberries or apples. With waffles this good, there's no need to make them at home.

Too often, breakfast is something we grab on the way to work. But at any number of local restaurants, the first meal of the day can be much more. From a German apple pancake to a lush cinnamon roll to an order of chicken and waffles to perfectly coddled eggs, here's a list of 10 amazing breakfast items around town, selected by the Taste team. Like good food anywhere, the dishes don't have to be expensive to be good, so these are in a variety of price ranges. Of course, no list in San Antonio would be complete without excellent breakfast tacos, and we're including those, too. It may seem like a hassle to wake up a little early to snag one of these, but these are great ways to start the day.

Apple fritters and glazed doughnuts

Where:﻿﻿﻿ Original Donut Shop, 3307 Fredericksburg Road, 210-734-5661

Why we love it:﻿﻿ The glazed doughnuts are simplicity at its finest. Starting with a just-sweet-enough glaze, they have just the right amount of sweetness and a soft but not mushy crumb. When they're freshly fried, glazed and rested, they're something truly incredible. The apple fritters are even better. They have a slightly cake-like interior studded with cooked apple pieces, and the combination of crust and glaze gives it almost a crunchy texture. Be aware: This place takes only cash.

Why we love it: Whether you choose a tender flour tortilla or an earthy corn tortilla, or opt for potato and egg, bean and cheese or machacado filling, you'll love Café Salsita's plump breakfast tacos, especially when you top them with one of two salsas, a spunky red or the gourmet chile de arbol, a rich, creamy, orange salsa that's flecked with bits of fresh onion and cilantro. We order them so often that we've been asked, “The usual?” when we call.

Why we love it: Southern favorite, chicken and waffles, is a recent addition to Earl Abel's classic breakfast menu. The main reason we love it? Because we love Earl Abel's crispy, tender, fried chicken. Topped with your choice of white or dark meat, the waffle is served with butter and syrup, including a good sugar-free version. The entrée is available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., but until 10:30 a.m., the waffles are served with chicken tenders rather than bone-in chicken pieces.

Why we love it: In its own way, this big cinnamon roll has a sense of balance. The flaky dough comes from its puff pastry base, with the right amount of cinnamon, sugar and crushed pecans as a filling, all topped with just enough glaze. Without a sense of moderation in all of these rich elements, the cinnamon roll could have been a sugary, goopy or heavy mess. Instead, it's brilliant.

Why we love it: Press your fork into one of these delicately coddled eggs and watch the yolk gently flow. It comes with several slices of toasted Italian bread to sop up the yolk. This is a kitchen of chef Andrew Weissman, so the technique is impeccable and these eggs will be perfectly coddled. The crispness of the toast and the creaminess of the yolk combine for a beautiful contrast of textures and tastes in every bite. The accompanying slices of bacon make everything that much better.

Cost: $10

Eggs Benedict

Where: Olmos Park Bistro, 4331 McCullough Ave., 210-826-0222

Why we love it: This version of the classic dish is near-perfect — a crisp muffin topped with Black Forest ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Enjoy it with a glass of sparkling rosé, and you have the perfect Sunday breakfast. It's served during brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays.

Cost: $14

Huevos rancheros

Where: Tito's Restaurant, 955 S. Alamo St., 210-212-8226

Why we love it: The huevos rancheros at Tito's features two eggs cooked to your preference and covered with a spicy ranchero sauce with chunks of jalapeños, onions and tomatoes. Ordered over easy, the egg yolks become one with the sauce only to be stopped by a barrier of papas con chorizo and refried beans. Corn or flour tortillas make the perfect tool for sopping up anything left on the plate.

Cost: $3.99 on weekdays before 10 a.m. and $4.99 after 10 a.m.; $5.99 on weekends

Why we love it: Though Magnolia's best-seller is the all-American Magnolia breakfast — three eggs; bacon, sausage, ham or Canadian bacon; hash browns; and pancakes, grits or toast — the dish we can't pass up is the apfel pfannekuchen, a German puffed pancake slathered in whipped cream and powdered sugar. Featured last week on Food Network's “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” the crispy pancake packed with Granny Smith apples, tons of cinnamon and butter, isn't to be missed.

Cost: $8.99

Pancakes

Where: Jim's Restaurants, 17 locations in San Antonio

Why we love it: From early in the morning until late at night, Jim's turns out pancake after pancake, its most popular breakfast item. What's not to like about these buttermilk beauties, which practically fill the plate with their fluffy, golden goodness? Warmed syrup and butter accompany, or gild the lily, pay a little extra, and order them filled with blueberries or topped with strawberries.

Cost: $5.19 for a full 3-stack; $4.69 for a short 2-stack; add $2.69 for two eggs with ham, bacon or sausage

Waffles

Where: Koffee Kup, 1025 Donaldson Ave., 210-785-9007

Why we love it: Chef Jose Cruz is cranking out delicious breakfast favorites from this small, family-run café, and the waffles are no exception. The thick pastries are sufficiently toasted on the outside and tenderly moist on the inside, and they are served with a choice of fruit or toppings such as strawberries, blueberries or apples. With waffles this good, there's no need to make them at home.